As soon as the words fell, Ren sprang to his feet, his eyes flashing with delight. "It's finally finished! After more than a year, the Tower of Heaven is complete!"
Ren's eyes flickered with emotion. The tower that had connected so many characters in the original story was finally complete in his hands.
In the original story, the Tower of Heaven had taken more than a decade to build. Ren had finished it in just over a year.
That speed was remarkable, but it made sense. Ren had no shortage of resources, and he had built it openly. Who would dare stop him?
Besides, Ren was the emperor of the Northern Continent, with ample manpower at his disposal. Finishing it so quickly was only natural.
Now that it was complete, he could move on to the next step.
Ren drained his wine and said, "Hashirama... tell Ryder and the others to come here. All of them."
Hashirama nodded. "Got it."
Hashirama left the palace. Ren looked at a crystal orb inside that recorded the date and murmured, "It's 777 after all. Is there something special about that year...?"
A year ago, Ren had thought the Tower of Heaven would take only six months to finish. He could have opened the Eclipse Gate before 777. But the New R-System Zeref sent had forced him to delay for a year, bringing them to 777.
In the original story, the Eclipse Gate had opened in 777 and set the plot in motion.
Now that the Eclipse Gate was in Ren's hands, it was still 777.
Ren's eyes flickered. "What does the year 777 mean?"
He pondered it briefly, then left the palace and headed elsewhere.
Before long, Ren entered a garden.
All sorts of strange beings filled it. Some looked almost human,